Surface Modification of Basalt Fiber with Organic/Inorganic Composites for Biofilm Carrier Used in Wastewater Treatment

Support carrier constitutes the technical core of biofilm processes in wastewater treatment. In this study, basalt fiber (BF) was modified by grafting an organic/inorganic composite, attached to which rich microorganisms were supposed to form biofilm for wastewater treatment. The modified BF (MBF) used as biofilm carriers were investigated in terms of hydrophilicity and surface roughness, which determined their bioaffinity. Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were conducted to study the chemical components. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was carried out to observe BF surface morphology. The bioaffinity of BF and MBF was compared in terms of the rate of bacterial adhesion and the ratio of immobilization onto basalt fiber. The bioaffinity of MBF was significantly improved due to introduction of many hydrophilic groups onto BF surfaces, which were subsequently proved to facilitate biofilm formation. The results showed that the adhesion rate, immobilization ratio and biomass of MBF were higher than that of BF. Thus, the polyacrylamide/epoxy/nano-SiO₂ coating modification technology holds a promising future for BF application in wastewater treatment.